CHAPTER 12 



Iterated Systems 



12/1. Whereas in the previous chapters we studied a system 

 whose main variables were all in intimate connection with one 

 another, so that a disturbance applied to any one immediately 

 disturbed all the others, we shall now study, for contrast, a system 

 composed of the same number of main variables but divided into 

 many parts. Each part is assumed to be wholly separated from 

 the other parts, and to contain only a few main variables. The 

 diagram of immediate effects might appear as in Figure 12/1/1 

 which shows, at A, what we have considered in Chapters 8-11, 

 and at B what we shall be considering in this chapter. (For 

 simplicity, the diagram shows lines instead of arrows.) 





B 



Figure 12/1/1. 



As before, it is assumed that each of the five systems in B 

 consists partly of variables belonging to the animal and partly of 

 variables belonging to the environment. The relation between 

 animal and environment is shown more clearly in Figure 12/1/2. 



Environment. 



Animal. 

 Figure 12/1/2 : Diagrammatic representation of an animal of eight main 

 variables interacting with its environment as five independent systems. 



139 



